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super, I would be thinking 525 for your weight. If bob can ride a 510 so can anyone. All will be a big improvement over the xr 400. My buddy jeremy just got a 525 mxc, I weighed it with an IMS tank, 1 gallon of fuel and a skid plate at 254 lbs, and that has e start. I went through this debate a while back, bob went through it and my buddy went through it. We all came to the conclusion that more power is better. Your only decision should be SX, MXC or EXC. Try this for reading.

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Me and a buddy bought new 2002 XR400's. After about 3 mounths I decided this was not the bike for me, started racing, so I traded it for a KTM 200 MXC. Road it for a couple years, sweet bike but not enough POWER!!! Now I just bought a 2005 KTM 450 EXC! This in my opinion is what I wanted out of my XR400. The bike rips!

If I were you, 200+ pounds, go with the 525 EXC! You won't be dissapointed.

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I think you gotta ask the question, are you in good enough shape that you don't fizzel out from fatigue? If you are fit go 525 but they do take a lot more effort to ride. I am 60, was born & raised on open class weapons and now a days I can ride much longer on a 400 than a 525, recently I took the belief that a short stroke motor took less energy to a new extream going to the 450 Husky which is about like a 250 KTMEXC crank with a 450SX cylinder. I can ride twice as long before becoming fatiged. That 400 KTM is 1/2 between those extreames (450 Husky & 525 RFS engine) would not hinder the 400 at all!

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I always heard that as a guide that the KTM 400 has ~42hp, the 450 has ~45hp, and the 520 has ~52hp. Any of these bikes is going to be a big HP jump from your XR 400, which I always thought was ~35hp. 4strokes.com shows an even bigger diffence: 30hp for the XR400 and 46hp for the KTM 450.

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I'm 45, not in the best of shape,had many large bikes before,wanted something more mellow,was talked into a 525,intimidated the first few rides,ect........ After my fifth ride (yesterday) I WANT MORE (well maybe a little). Actually i'm happy with the power.Enough to scare and easy to ride slow.

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KTM450 EXC.I'm 45,225lb+,I've had my 450 for 3 seasons now,I ride Stoneyford,Georgetown,Foresthill,Carniage,Sierra City.Never came across anything it would'nt do.Changed gearing to 13-52 and it's perfect.I do not know why but given a choice now I would probably get the 525.Nothing at all wrong with 450 but to quote a friend "I would like to go up the hills as fast as I go down" I have never ridden a 525 but the 450 EXC is sweet.